Snacks 🍩 the good, the bad and the hungry.
- Jamie Stumpe
- Aug 31, 2023
- 3 min read
I. Snacking - Yay or Nay?
I’ve seen a bunch of different opinions on whether snacking is good or bad. So, what's the deal? Yay or nay?
Is snacking the root of all evil and leads to unnecessary weight gain, or is it necessary for health and longevity?
First of all, let's define what a snack is. A quick Google search reveals that it's either "a small amount of food eaten between meals" or "a sexually attractive person"...who knew that was a thing? Today we are talking about the food one; sorry, sexy people. 😄
Like most things, it's not a clear-cut good or bad but rather a "it depends" answer.
The first question I would explore is why you're reaching for a snack in the first place. There are no wrong answers here - a few common reasons are:
You're feeling hungry. In this case, you're not necessarily craving anything in particular, but just something to fill the void. Hunger is often felt physically; think of a rumbling stomach that comes and goes in waves and can be satisfied with a normal amount of food.
You're craving something. This is often accompanied by an emotional feeling, for example, "I'm bored/frustrated/stressed/sad, and I want to eat something tasty." With cravings, we often feel fixated on a specific food, taste, or texture, and cravings often come on suddenly and are hard to satisfy.
It's routine. Maybe every time you have tea, you accompany it with a few dunking biscuits or around 4 pm, you escape the desk for a coffee and snack break. You're not necessarily hungry or craving anything; it's just part of your normal routine to do this.
These reasons are not the only ones why we might snack, but they cover the most common reasons.
If you're hungry, snacking might not be a bad idea. It helps keep satiety at bay until your next meal and can be a great way to get in some extra protein (something we often don't get enough of in our three main meals).
If you're craving something, it might be best to explore the reason why before reaching for any food, especially since the foods we crave are often highly processed and high in calories. Easier said than done, I know, but getting a handle on what's driving your cravings can help better identify other options to try outside snacking. For example, if you're feeling bored or stressed at work, taking a walk around the office and having a quick chat with a colleague might be enough.
The same goes for routine - in simple terms, eating should be guided by hunger, but often our emotions and routine can drive many of our eating habits too. What would it feel like to wait an extra 30 minutes before your daily 4 p.m. office snack?
So, is snacking good or bad? As you can see, it really depends…
II. Tight Hips? Try this...
For a simple and effective stretch for opening up your hips, give the Frogger a try.
III. Quote to ponder
"Every action we take is our attempt to solve a problem."
Craving cookies when we've had a rough day makes more sense when we realise it's our attempt to solve the problem, and it's not that it doesn't work either. It just comes at a cost and potentially a new set of problems.
P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, share it with a friend.
Thanks,
Jamie
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